Connecticut medicine
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Connecticut medicine · Feb 2008
Substance abuse and diagnosis of cervical spine injuries: policy consideration.
Cervical spine injury occurs in 2% to 6% of patients with blunt injury. Standard cervical radiographs are widely accepted as a primary screen, but may miss injuries. Diagnoses are further confounded by patients' use of alcohol or drugs, which may delay diagnosis. ⋯ Drug and alcohol screens are important adjunct studies to identify patients with substance abuse who are more prone to sustain cervical spine injury that is likely to be missed by plain cervical radiographs. Cervical CT maybe a better primary imaging study for detection of cervical spine injury in trauma patients with suspected substance abuse.